Recycle your old batteries https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/recycling/yes-you-need-to-recycle-your-old-batteries-a5385943645/
Most batteries—regardless of type—contain toxic chemicals. Think cadmium, lead, lithium, or sulfuric acid. If your old batteries end up in a landfill, pollutants like these can leak out and contaminate groundwater, damage fragile ecosystems, and potentially make their way into the food chain.
What would be required for my wife to drink tap water.